Runner for vehicles.



WITNESSES G. S. S'AXTDN. RUNNER FOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Apt. 4, 1899.)

Pa cented Nov. I4, I899.

INVENTOR A TTOHNE YS,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OrFicE.

CHARLES s. SAX-TON, or BL E EARTH CITY, MINNESOTA.

RUNNER FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,166, dated November 14; 1899. Applioation filed Aprilh 1899. Serial No. 711,699. (No model.)

runner for bob-sleds and for wheeled vehicles that can be attached with equally good results to straight axles or to axles bent either up or down and to so construct the improved runners that they can be readily adjusted to track.

Another Object of the invention is to provide an oscillating axle-clamp and checks for limiting the movement of the clamp, thus obviating the necessity of straps to prevent the body turning over.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the draft will be below the center of the axle, causing the runners to travel smoothly and have but little tendency to tip or travel upon their noses.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the sleigh-runner and knee therefor, the axle be- -in g shown in side elevation, the section being taken practically on the line 1 l of Fig. 3 and the axle having a downward bend. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, illustrating an upwardly-bent axle attached to the runner; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the axle and an inner face-View of the improved runner.

A represents the body of a runner, and B a knee, said knee being, of A form; but the said knee is open at the top and comprises two side members 10, connected only by a cross-bar 11, the said cross-bar being at a point between the center of the side bars and their upper ends. The upper ends of the side bars of the knee are preferablymade straight, as shown in Fig. 3.

Two opposing and parallel jaws 12 and 13 are located between the side members of the of the knee, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,

and the two jaws are pivotally connected and pivotally attached to the knee by a single pivot-pin 15, passed through the extensions of the jaws and the central portion of the knee cross-bar. The side surfaces of the jaws face toward the front and toward the rear of the runner, and each jaw is provided with a series of openings 16 in its side surface, extending through from one face to the other, and the openings in the two jaws are in transverse alinement. A cross-bar 17is utilized to support that part of the axle D that is passed between the jaws, and this cross-bar 17 is adjustable, its ends being fitted to enter any two transversely-opposingapertures in the jaws. The jaws are brought together, so as to clamp the axle firmly between them, by means of a bolt 17 passed through the upper ends of the jaws, the bolt being provided with a suitable nut.

Abracket O is projected upwardly and out wardly from the knee B, the outer end of which bracket is below the plane of the lower ends of the body portions of the jaws, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This bracket preferably consists of two side bars 18 and 18% attached, respectively, to the side members of the knee B, and these side bars 18 and 18 of the bracket are brought together at their upper ends. The bracket 0 is adapted to support a seat for the spindle D of the axle D. This seat consists of a bottom bar 19, the inner or heel portion 20 whereof is provided with an adjusting-screw 21, that forms a hearing for the under surface of the axle at a.

point adjacent to the spindle-flange 22. The bottom bar 19 of the seat is provided with two eyes 23 and 24, the eye 2l,which is smaller than the eye 23, being at the outer end of the bottom bar 19, while the larger eye 23 occupies such a position on the bottom bar that when the axle-spindle is fitted to its seat said larger eye will engage with the spindle-flange 22. The seat is supported by a standard 25, and this standard is provided with an opening at its lower end adapted.- to receive a pin projection 26 from the outer end of the bracket 0, the said pin projection having its outer portion threaded to receive a nut.

It is evident that when the jaws are constructed as above set forth they may be attached equally well to an upwardly or to a downwardly curved axle, as well as to a straight axle, and that the spindle-seat will readily receivethe spindle of any form of axle, and that the ad justing-screw at the heel portion of the spindle-seat forms a bearing for the outer end portion of the axle. Thus the axle is not liable to be strained, and as the support 25 for the seat is loosely mounted on its bracket 0 the seat may oscillate with the jaws, but oscillation of the jaws is limited by the upper end portions of the sides of the knee.

Usually the knees are strengthened by braces 27, that extend from the forward members of the knees to the upturned portions of the runners, as shown in Fig.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. A sleigh-runner, a knee for the runner, jaws carried by said knee and adapted to clamp an axle, a seat for the axle-spindle, having fixed and adjustable bearings, and a support upon which said seat is pivotally mounted, as described.

2. The combination, with a sleigh-runner and an A-knee open at the top, jaws pivotally attached to the cross-bar of the A-knee, the upper ends of said knee serving to limit the forward and rearward movement of the jaws, a bar adjust-ably carried by the jaws,

and a locking-bar for said jaws, of a spindleseat comprising a bottom bar, an eye at the outer end of the bar, a larger eye near the inner end of thebar and an adjustable bearing at the inner end of the bar, a bracket attached to the knee, and a pivotal support between the said spindle-seat and said bracket,

as described.

3. The combination, with a sleigh-runner, an A-shaped knee at its upper end, opposing jaws pivotally attached to the cross-bar of the knee, the upper ends of the said knee limiting the upward and rearward movement of said jaws, each jaw havinga series of openings therein, a supporting-bar adapted to enter the openings in said jaws and occupy a position between them, and a locking device for said jaws, of a bracket attached to said knee, a spindle-seat comprising a bottom bar having an adjustable bearing at its inner end, a fixed bearing near the adjustable bearing and a smaller fixed bearing at its outer end, and a support for the seat, mounted to rock upon the said bracket, as described.

4. The combinatiomwith a sleigh-knee and a bracket therefor, of a seat for the axle-spindle, consisting of a bottom bar having an adjustable bearing atits rear end,a fixed bearing near the adjustable bearing, a second fixed hearing at its outerend, and a support adapted to be loosely mounted upon said bracket, for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES S. SAXTON.

\Vitnesses:

A. O. BUsWELL, F. W. FRIIS. 

